RESUMO
The world's population is currently overcoming one of the worst pandemics, and the psychological and social effects of this are becoming more apparent. We will present an analysis of the psychosocial effects of COVID-19: first, a cross-sectional study in an Ecuadorian sample (n = 301) and second, a comparative study between two samples from the Ecuadorian and Spanish populations (n = 83 each one). Participants completed an online survey to (1) describe how they felt (depression, anxiety, and stress) before and after confinement; (2) analyze which emotional and behavioral variables predict depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress perceived after the confinement; (3) carry out a comparative study in a sample of Ecuadorian and Spanish surveys. Results indicate, first, that Ecuadorians experience significantly more depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress after confinement. Second, variables which predict depressive symptoms and anxiety are greater public prosocial tendency, less stress as a challenge, and greater stress as a threat, as well as an empathetic tendency that implies greater emotional regulation. Experienced stress after confinement was predicted by a greater public prosocial tendency, as well as an empathetic tendency. Finally, scores for depression, anxiety, and stress are higher after confinement in both countries. However, results reveal the similarity of the psychosocial effects that are being experienced, regardless of the country, and the differences in the variables that can help explain these effects. This can contribute to the constitution of intervention plans which aim to soften and alleviate the effects produced by a situation such as that experienced with COVID-19.
RESUMO
La pandemia de la COVID-19 está impactando en la salud emocional de los adolescentes. Factores como la resiliencia pueden amortiguar este importante impacto sobre su bienestar. Nuestro objetivo fue estudiar la asociación entre la sintomatología ansioso-depresiva y la resiliencia en adolescentesde España y Ecuador, y comparar las diferencias existentes entre ambas muestras. Participaron 476 adolescentes (70,10 % mujeres) entre 9 y 18 años(M = 15,62; DT = 1,22), distribuidos por igual entre ambos países. Se evaluaron mediante la Escala de Depresión, Ansiedad y Estrés y la Escala deResiliencia. Realizamos análisis descriptivos, pruebas t para muestras independientes, cálculo del tamaño del efecto y correlaciones de Pearson. Losresultados evidenciaron que el perfil de ajuste adaptativo ante la pandemia fue: ser chico, no haber presentado un evento vital estresante, no tenerproblemas de salud física ni psicológica previos y residir en España. Mientras que el perfil de riesgo ante la pandemia fue: ser chica, presentar un eventovital estresante, tener algún tipo de problema de salud física y psicológica previo y residir en Ecuador. Nuestros datos señalan la importancia de detectar las necesidades específicas de los adolescentes en función de su contexto socioeconómico y cultural, para poder poner en marcha intervencionesdestinadas a proteger su salud mental durante la pandemia. (AU)
The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the emotional health of adolescents. Factors such as resilience can buffer this important impact on their well-being. Our aim was to studythe association between anxious-depressive symptomatology and resilience in adolescents from Spain and Mexico, and to compare the differencesbetween the two samples. A total of 476 adolescents (70.10 % female) aged 9-18 years (M = 15.62; SD = 1.22), equally distributed between thetwo countries, participated in the study. They were assessed using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale and the Resilience Scale. We conducted descriptive analyses, independent samples t-tests, effect size calculation and Pearson correlations. The results showed that the profile of adaptiveadjustment to the pandemic was: being a male, not having experienced a stressful life event, not having previous physical or psychological healthproblems and residing in Spain. While the risk profile for the pandemic was: being a female, having a stressful life event, having some type of previousphysical and psychological health problem, and residing in Ecuador. Our data point to the importance of detecting the specific needs of adolescentsaccording to their socio-economic and cultural context in order to implement interventions to protect their mental health during the pandemic. (AU)
